dig up a pair of flat shoes. Though much of my strength had returned, my legs still felt a bit wobbly, and I didn’t want to try heels. Then he’d taken a moment to let the Sentries outside my door know I was awake and coming down. I guessed that gave everyone enough time to set out a feast and congregate in the throne room.
“Caroline!”
Alex broke free from the crowd and caught me up in a hug, practically lifting me off the ground. He looked more handsome than I’d ever seen, dressed in an elegant blue suit with gold thread embroidered around the edges.
“How are you?” he asked. “Are you okay?”
I gave him a small smile. “I’m fine. A little tired, but I’ll live.”
The frantic pattering of feet over the ground told me that Marianne wasn’t far behind. I knelt on the ground just in time to wrap my arms around her.
“Hello, honey. How are you?” I asked.
She pulled back enough for me to see her face, flushed from her little run. She beamed brightly.
“I’m good. Everyone’s here! The sorcerers have been talking about you a lot, and my mama and papa really want to meet you. Some of them were worried you would never wake up like Rosamond.”
“Like who?” I asked, but in that moment a woman who could be none other than Marianne’s mother swept forward.
“Thank you so much.” She hugged me even tighter than Alex had. “Thank you! Thank you for saving our little girl. I’m so glad you were her Guardian.”
She sniffed, trying to hold back tears. Suddenly I wanted to go home. I wanted to see my mother. My father. My sisters. To reassure them that I was okay, to apologize for making them look for me and putting them in such pain.
“Well,” I managed, unsure of what to say, “she’s a special girl. And I certainly had a lot of help.”
After that I was swept away into the crowd of people, Wolf on one side of me and Marianne on the other. I met her father, who thanked me as profusely as her mother. I spoke with the sorcerers and discussed Marianne’s future role in the kingdom. They would teach her how to rule well, and I agreed to stay until her formal crowning, teaching her everything I knew of wolves in the meantime. I found Martock, who apologized for his role in the Steward mess, knowing how wrong it was for he and his men to go along with the Steward’s plan, but unable to find a way out until meeting up with Wolf. He conceded that perhaps wolves weren’t quite what he’d thought they were after all.
Together we mingled and ate, talked and laughed. Marianne was excited for me to see her crowning, and I was amazed at her ability to bounce back after going through such an ordeal. Then again, kids always did have uncanny ways of surviving things. I knew in my heart she wouldn’t be quite the same ever again, but perhaps that would make her stronger and a wiser ruler. With her parents and the sorcerers of the court to guide her, she had a good chance. Just to be sure, I reached out with my senses to examine the magicians. Their magic lay quiet, relaxed. No desire to rear up and be violent to take over the kingdom the way the Mistress’s had.
As I spoke with a handful of people, recounting some of our journey, I took a moment to scan the crowd in search of Alex. He’d wanted to go home ever since he found me. I wondered how he felt now. I spotted him off to the side, casually chatting with a pretty maid who giggled, thoroughly enjoying his attention. Alex caught my gaze. He winked at me and I laughed.
Later, when I was alone in my room again, I stood in front of the three-paned full length mirror, naked.
The number of scars covering my body seemed unreal. Every wound closed by the lavawort left a mark on my skin. I looked like something out of a comic book. The Mistress’s curse had opened plenty of cuts; they criss-crossed over my back, sliced down my arms, made my legs a pattern of lines. I was lucky she’d gone for pain and a slow bleed out; if any of them had sliced deeper, a few major arteries might have been severed and there wouldn’t be any coming back. Still…
The door opened and Wolf slipped inside. I